


A Happy Ending

by Jdkwinxgrl



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Original Fairy Tales, RWBY Volume 8 Episode 9: Witch, Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jdkwinxgrl/pseuds/Jdkwinxgrl
Summary: Oscar and Ozpin pass the time by exchanging Fairy Tales in Monstra.
Relationships: Ozpin & Oscar Pine
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	A Happy Ending

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@Insulationsun on Tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40Insulationsun+on+Tumblr).



> Tw: Animal abuse mention, death mention.

Oscar found it hard to sleep. Within the whale there was no time, nor sky. The “window” above him did not change in brightness so there was no sun either. There was only the stretches of silence where he was left alone, trying not to listen for the sound of footsteps heading towards his room. 

Well, alone as you _can_ be when your soul is no longer your own. 

As he stirred awake from his numbness, the aches and pains started to spill into his awareness. He was glad he dreamt of nothing, because surely any illusion his brain conjured would either remind him of his injured state or bring false hope when he awoke. Ozpin had told him once that he and Oscar did not share dreams. Yet. 

_Hello Oscar. I hope you slept well._ Ozpin said warmly. Oscar groaned in reply, wincing from the pain in his side as he turned over. 

"I want to go back to sleep,” He hissed, eyebrows scrunched together. 

_I don’t blame you. If you can find respite now, I will not dissuade you from trying to sleep again_. Ozpin sighed.

Oscar rubbed his eyes, trying to be mindful of the bruising there. His eyesight itself had not been damaged, but moving any part of himself too fast caused pain.

“No, I guess I’m awake." Oscar sighed. "Good morning.” 

He could sense that Ozpin appreciated the sentiment. 

_Well, I do have some good news. It seems that we recovered enough aura while sleeping to heal some of our wounds._ Ozpin noted.

Still covered in bruises and dried blood, Oscar chuckled, “At least I only have one ruptured kidney instead of two. Auntie always said ' _you only need enough to get the job done before you see the setting sun_.’” 

Although he did regret leaving his aunt without telling her, he did not regret leaving in its entirety. He knew that she would likely be fine in the countryside, far away from most grimm and conflict. There was always a sense of isolation on his farm, nothing but him and his aunt to keep each other company. Although his tutor would occasionally come, a 60 year old female teacher wasn’t quite the best playmate for a 14 year old boy. His books provided the best escape into a world he could barely see beyond his window. He could only imagine what lay beyond the country hills that bordered his home. 

_That’s from one of your aunt's_ _books, isn’t it? I think I’ve read it before, 'The Two Neighbouring Maids'_. Ozpin mused. 

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Oscar nodded. It was a tale about two neighbouring farmers who went to fetch water from a well each day in order to water their fields. One girl would be anxious and always carry extra water, causing her to spill the buckets – letting all the water go to waste. Meanwhile, the girl who carried what she could and not a drop more was able to complete the job in order to get to bed on time. “It’s a moral about being resourceful, and not expending oneself far beyond one’s capabilities, but…”

_Oh? It sounds like you disagree._ Ozpin prompted.

“When I was younger, I always thought it was weird. What if there was a hole in her bucket? What if the second maiden tripped on a rock in her path? Could the first maiden not share her water with the second?” Oscar supposed. “But then I realized that those things did not exist to the maid in the story. She always focused on what might happen and didn’t trust in her own self, which led to nothing getting done at all.” 

Ozpin hummed in reply. _A well-written book tends to stick in one’s mind long after it is read. One of my favourite lines from such a tale is, “Though quiet laid the land to rest, a small bird had found a branch to break the silence with its song.”_

Oscar paused, eyebrows pressed together. He took a moment to think, yet the words were unfamiliar to him. 

“I’ve never read that before, or even heard about it,” He blinked. Would it be from a fairy tale, or something longer?

_I admit, it is not necessarily a story with a happy ending. “The Famous and Fantastical Zoo” recounts the tale of a pair of brothers who ran a zoo together. Starting off as humble businessmen, their attraction grows and grows as they travel, and become renown across Remnant._ Ozpin told. 

Oscar could imagine in his head a wondrous scene with dazzling lights and colourful banners. Families were walking hand in hand up and down the scene, little children ogling with big bright eyes at the Elephants and Pumas. Behind it all were two proud men with smiles that stretched a little too taut, and clothes perhaps too nicely ironed and presentable.

“I’m assuming their success didn’t last long, did it?” Oscar guessed.

_No it did not. For the two brothers began to get frugal with the huntsmen they hired, and treated the animals poorly. Although they drew popularity from crowds and dined like kings, the animals lived in small cages and received scraps. One day, an argument erupted between the brothers and the huntsmen they hired, so full of ire, it attracted a large crowd of grimm – too many for the Zoo to handle. In the end, the inhabitants are killed and the Zoo is destroyed, leaving behind nothing but a place for the forest to regrow._

Imagining such a desolate scene, Oscar’s voice grew quiet, “You’re right. That’s not exactly a happy ending."

Ozpin sighed.

_Rarely does cruelty and greed lead to anything more than suffering. The ending is meant to be more cathartic than joyous_. Ozpin spoke softly, hoping to provide some comfort to the boy who seemed to be falling slowly into his own thoughts. 

It made Oscar ponder whether or not the brothers had set out to abuse their animals. Were they innocent and eager to see the world, not ready for what awaited them? Did they become consumed by a desire for wealth, and became corrupted over time? Was something lost, or was it never there to begin with? The thought reminded him of another tale. 

The girl who spent her days staring out the window, sought out adventure and found a hole in the forest just beyond the border of her home. Leaning too close, she fell in through the hole to another side of Remnant none had seen before. Lost and scared, she would have been swallowed up by quicksand if it weren’t for the kind hand of a man with a pumpkin head. Her journey took her over the scorching desert on the back of a magic carpet, across the perilous seas tied to the mast of a pirate ship, and through the whispering forest with a wooden sawhorse as her stead. Along her journey, she faced many foes, was apprehended many times, but on each occasion her new friends would save and help her on her way. 

Oscar had gotten to see so many wonderful sights and experience a wide variety of things ever since he left his home in Mistral. The only movie theatre was located an hour away from his farm, and somehow, he had managed to see at least two shows since setting out on this journey. He had looked death in the eyes more times than he could count beyond the grimm he had expected. However, each time he did, it was always with his friends at his side – these people he knew didn't just keep him around because he shared a body with Ozpin, but because they genuinely appreciated his company. Even now he had a small hope, perhaps somewhat selfishly, that they would save him from Salem. Above all else, he hoped that they were safe (even if he still missed them terribly). 

Having survived a particularly rough fight, the girl finally could see the elevator that would take her back to the other side of Remnant. Her friends saved face, smiling and waving, and knowing that where she would go, this time they could not follow. It was with heavy heart she stared through the glass as they became smaller and smaller below her. 

The girl prepared herself to greet the former world and return to the place she once called home.

"She brushed off her bumps and bruises, for nothing hurt worse than the loneliness in her chest."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think with a comment, and leave a kudos :D


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